Man reunited with stolen car after 42 years
A man has been reunited with the love of his love after 42 years and his wife doesn’t mind one bit.
Bob Russell had his beloved 1967 Austin Healey 3000 stolen from him in 1970, and after years of searching, he’s finally tracked it down on eBay.
The car, which Mr Russell paid $3000 for, was stolen from him the morning after a second date with the other love of his life – his wife Cynthia.
Bob, originally from Philadelphia but now living in Texas, spent years searching for the car but knew as time went on he was fighting a losing battle.
'The fact that the car [could still exist was] improbable,' he told Associated Press. 'It could have been junked or wrecked.'
But not to be put off, Bob kept the car’s original key and title.
Finally, after decades of searching, he stumbled across the long lost car on eBay, going so far as to match the VIN and chassis numbers.
He phoned the seller, the Beverley Hills Car Club, to enquire about the sale.
“I hate to sound indelicate, but you're selling a stolen car,' he told them.
The car failed to meet the reserve for the eBay auction and the haggling began.
The car’s owner said it had been in the family since 1970.
“Well,” Mr Russell responded, “the car was stolen in 1970, so you can draw your own conclusion. They either stole it or bought it from the guy who stole it.”
After some persistent work with local authorities to find a stolen vehicle report from the 1970s, Mr Russell was finally reunited with his treasured vehicle – and all it cost him was around $600 in impound fees.
"It still runs, but the brakes don't work well," he said. "We're going to put it back the way it was."
With a little work, Mr Russell expects the car to be worth around $50,000.
Not bad for a $3000 investment.
